acquire
verb (used with object)
to come into possession or ownership of; get as one's own.
have been acquiring
-
present perfect progressiveof acquire.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One result: Private-equity firms have been acquiring physician groups and outpatient facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Large health systems have been acquiring physician practices and funneling commercially insured patients into their hospitals, Whaley said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2023
I think it can be used to describe how American studios and networks have been acquiring South Korean and other content from East Asia to adapt for audiences in the United States.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2021
In Master Harold the dances are different: he and co-star Lucian Msamati have been acquiring ballroom skills.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2019
The relations between Fenwick and the Nightingales, mother and daughter, seem to us to have been acquiring cohesion at the time of the foregoing interview.
From Somehow Good by William Frend De Morgan
